Dana 35 access cover?

sharpertouch · Dec 31, 2007

ok im about to embark on creating a front diff cover. Y, u ask. well... y not?
ill be able to easily flush fluid, it will be much stronger than the axle housing itself, and most importantly ill be able to take a peek in there whenever i feel like it.

if anyone has any suggestions or knows anyone who has done this before, start posting!

im gunna make this beefy and theyll be reproduced if all goes well.

Trey :icon_welder:

rickcdewitt · Dec 31, 2007

i thought about that as well,but arm strength concerns and other projects kept me from following through

BlackBII · Dec 31, 2007

There was a guy I saw do it a while back, may have been before the whole fiasco, can't seem to remember who....

brendank · Dec 31, 2007

It's definitely possible, and I've seen it done well before, but you need to be careful. The existing cover/beam provides alot of the rigidity that exists in that beam. You need to make sure that the beam is just as strong or stronger than it was before, otherwise you're headed for major problems.

sharpertouch · Dec 31, 2007

well im planning on using 3/8" plate for the cover and maybe 1/2" for the ring (only if needed for ring clearance.) also now that u mention the rigidity of the arm, i will brace/reinforce/gusset as needed... if needed. dont forget that where the ring sits it is bolted directly to the housing of the third member. i figure that will hold up under high stresses.

c_note · Dec 31, 2007

you know what? you just convinced me to do my next project. i have an ifs and my d35 is leaking alot of gear oil. i need to make it to where i dont have to tear the entire front suspension down just to add fluid. i will probably put a plug on top and another on bottom.

post some pics when ur done.

Evan · Jan 1, 2008

c_note said:
you know what? you just convinced me to do my next project. i have an ifs and my d35 is leaking alot of gear oil. i need to make it to where i dont have to tear the entire front suspension down just to add fluid. i will probably put a plug on top and another on bottom.

post some pics when ur done.

To fill, all you need to do is remove the fill plug and dump fluid in there...

To change, buy a $2.00 siphon pump, suck the old oil out thru the fill plug and dump the new stuff in.

I don't see any benefit to doing this, and there is a great risk of weakening the beam. You wouldn't be able to so any work in there by only removing the cover, and filling/changing is already easy.

Your next project IMHO should be to fix the leak in your diff so you don't need to add fluid all the time.

sharpertouch · Jan 1, 2008

c_note - pics will be posted...

evan - this isnt just for easy fluid change but also to create any easy way to check things out in there when needed.

Evan · Jan 1, 2008

sharpertouch said:
c_note - pics will be posted...

evan - this isnt just for easy fluid change but also to create any easy way to check things out in there when needed.

The inspection capability would definitely be the biggest advantage of doing this, but if something is wrong in there you'll be able to tell by driving problems or just by jacking the front up and spinning the tires. If there is a problem, then you'll have to pull everything out anyway.

kunar · Jan 1, 2008

yeah, it's been done. if i remember, before the forum 'switch' somebody posted pics of someone they knew that did it. so it was a friend of a member, not the member himself. they used studs and nuts to hold the front diff on rather than bolts, so you can take the cover off without the diff trying to fall out. also, as far as draining these things goes, i have heard of people grinding or drilling through the inside of the case, into the lowermost bolt hole. this way, you just pull the bolt and all the fluid drains out.

JFA_Spyderman · Jan 1, 2008

Yo,
I try and save pictures of projects i may do in the future. I believe these are the pics from the old board.

Here ya go! :icon_welder:

kunar · Jan 1, 2008

those look like the pics i saw, he used the piece he cut from the axle beam to make the cover. i wonder how its held up, it seems like the aluminum housing may get stuck bearing more load than it should be....

sharpertouch · Jan 2, 2008

very nice!
i just want to skip the whole tubular gard and completly make the cover out of the 3/8" plate.

also... ive taken down both axle housings and found that the pass side is a bit twisted! heh whod a guessed. also need driver spindle. err... time for a donar vehicle.

Evan · Jan 2, 2008

kunar said:
those look like the pics i saw, he used the piece he cut from the axle beam to make the cover. i wonder how its held up, it seems like the aluminum housing may get stuck bearing more load than it should be....

My thoughts exactly.

Would be nice to see how it has held up....regardless it is a nice fab job.

sharpertouch · Feb 6, 2008

update: finally after getting a new passenger arm and another spindle and litterally replacing ever u-joint, bushing, ball-joint, seal, etc. ive started on the diff cover. but before i get into that let me mention the following... got all poly parts that i could from James Duff ent. extended rad arm bushings, axle pivot bushings, and spring perch cups. theyll be quite the nice upgrade to on-road and off-road driving mannors. also had a set of custom coil springs made up to compensate for the added weight my v8 puts on the 8" coils from skyjacker.
now as for the diff cover... after a couple templates and moching. i cut a 3/8 ring and drill pressed the ten holes for the d35. she looks mean and more importantly fits good. now ill start on the actual cover that goes on the ring...
ps ill get a pic of the ring and parts up asap.

Dana 35 access cover?

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